PM Narendra Modi Maharashtra Visit Live Updates: Shivaji Maharaj not just king, but our deity; I apologise to him, says PM Modi in Palghar

CLAIMING THAT he was made a scapegoat with the sole motive to control raging public sentiments due to political pressure on account of Lok Sabha elections, Bhavesh Bhinde, the main accused in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case, has sought bail in the sessions court.

Bhinde was arrested on May 17 after the hoarding installed by his company, the owner of Ego Media Pvt Ltd, collapsed on May 13 causing the death of 17 persons and injuries to over 80.

In his plea, Bhinde claimed that the hoarding was not illegal and that permissions and advertisement rights were obtained from the Commissioner of Police, Railways. He has also claimed that the hoarding had not collapsed due to faulty construction as alleged but due to gutsy winds experienced in the city. Read more

Simply apologising for the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will not suffice as the episode has "hurt the pride of Maharashtra", senior Congress leader Nana Patole said on Friday while reacting to the statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PM Modi on Friday apologised to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and those hurt by the collapse of the warrior king's statue in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district.

"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king. For us, he is our deity. Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity," Modi said during his address in Palghar.

The statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district's Malvan tehsil, which fell on August 26, was unveiled by the PM on December 4, 2023, on the occasion of Navy Day.

"What made him to apologise ? It means he has acknowledged he had made a mistake. When the statue was ready, as a prime minister, he or his team should have checked whether the statue was alright, whether the foundation was strong and whether the certificate from the cultural director was sought or not," Patole told reporters. (PTI)

The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to inform all 'sarvajanik Ganesh mandals' to mandatorily follow guidelines imposing ban on use of plaster of Paris (PoP) for making idols that will be immersed in water.

A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar said all mandals have to follow guidelines issued in May 2020 by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) imposing a ban on PoP idols.

In cases where the permissions to erect mandals have already been granted, an additional condition shall be "immediately" added that they shall not install idols made of PoP, the HC further directed.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Thane-based Rohit Joshi and others, including nine clay-based and small-scale craftsmen of idols, seeking strict implementation of the 2020 CPCB guidelines.

The bench noted the concerned stakeholders were not implementing the guidelines in letter and spirit and said it would be compelled to pass an order banning sale and use of PoP idols. (PTI)

IN A case of road rage, a man driving an Audi car slapped an Ola driver, lifted him in the air and threw him on the ground at the entrance of his housing society in Ghatkopar on August 18. A CCTV grab of the video went viral on social media following which the local Parksite police registered an FIR in the matter ten days later against one Bibhash Chakraborty and another family member. No arrests have been made in the case as yet.

As per the statement given by driver Kamyuddin Qureshi (24) a Govandi resident, he was going from Saki Naka to Navi Mumbai with a customer around 11.30pm when he got into a fight with an Audi driver after he brushed past his cab.

Qureshi alleged that the man identified as Rishabh Chakravorty, a media professional, started manhandling him while a woman family member removed the Ola navigation device from Qureshi's cab and they fled from the spot in the Audi.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday said the party has expelled its MLAs Zeeshan Siddique and Jitesh Antapurkar, a move coming just ahead of the assembly polls.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, he did not elaborate on reasons for the expulsion of Zeeshan Siddique and Antapurkar, but the action comes more than a month after it came to light that seven Congress MLAs cross-voted in biennial elections to 11 seats of the Legislative Council.

Replying to a query on Zeeshan Siddique and Antapurkar, Patole said there was no point in commenting on the two MLAs as they have been expelled by the party.

Zeeshan Siddique was elected from Bandra (East) in Mumbai, while Antapurkar represented Deglur in Nanded district.

Zeeshan Siddique's father Baba Siddique joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Assembly polls in Maharashtra are due in November. (PTI)

The sculptor of the collapsed statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district had submitted to the state Directorate of Arts a six-foot clay model of the same statue as per the procedure, which had been approved by it last year, officials said on Friday.

The directorate grants approval to the statues of iconic personalities if they are found to be carrying the facial and other physical features of those personalities well.

The 35-foot statue of the Maratha empire founder, installed at Rajkot fort in Sindhudurg's Malvan tehsil and unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December last year, collapsed on Monday. The incident triggered a political row as the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) slammed the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government.

Following the incident, the police registered a case against the statue's artist Jaydeep Apte and arrested its structural consultant Chetan Patil. (PTI)

Maharashtra Health Minister Tanaji Sawant’s remark that he “vomits” after sitting with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ministers during Cabinet meetings has ruffled feathers in Ajit Pawar’s party with spokesperson Umesh Patil demanding that the Shiv Sena leader be sacked.

“Either he stays or the NCP. If he is not sacked, we should quit the Mahayuti Cabinet. I request our national president Ajit Pawar and all our senior leaders to quit the Cabinet,” Patil told The Indian Express on Friday.

Pawar should not attend any Cabinet meeting till Sawant is sacked, Patil added. “Even our ministers should boycott Cabinet meetings till Sawant is sacked. We will not accept Sawant’s apology or statement that he was misinterpreted. We want him out immediately,” Patil said. Read more

PM Modi also launched the Rs 360 crore National Roll Out of Vessel Communication and Support system, under which one lakh transponders will be installed in a phased manner on mechanised and motorised fishing vessels in 13 coastal states and Union Territories at Palghar in Maharashtra today after laying foundation stone of the Vadhvan Port project

The vessel communication and support system is an indigenous technology developed by ISRO, which will help in establishing two-way communication while fishermen are at sea and also help in rescue operations as well as ensure their safety.

Modi also laid the foundation stone for important fishery infrastructure projects including development, upgradation and modernization of fishing harbours, fish landing centres and construction of fish markets. (PTI)

"A developed Maharashtra is an essential part of the resolve for a Developed India," said PM Modi at Maharashtra's Palghar district today after laying foundation stone of the Vadhvan Port project worth Rs 76,000 crore.

"This is a very big day for India's development journey. Developed Maharashtra is the most important part of the resolution of developed India. Therefore, whether it is the last 10 years or now the third term of my government, big decisions have been taken continuously for Maharashtra. Maharashtra has the necessary power and resources for development. Today the foundation stone of Vadhavan Port has been laid and Rs 76,000 crore will be spent on it. It will be biggest container port in the country," said PM Modi.

"Dighi port in Raigad district has been sanctioned by centre," said PM Modi in Maharashtra's Palghar district today after he laid foundation stone of the Vadhvan Port project worth around Rs 76,000 crore. He also laid foundation of 218 fisheries projects of Rs 1,560 crore in Palghar district.

"During Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj gave important trades through sea routes and strengthened it. However, that legacy was ignored for decades," said PM Modi adding that in the last ten years the current government has made huge investments and promoted port, waterfronts infrastructure.

PM Modi said that Palghar is the ideal location for the Vadhvan Port and this project remained on paper for sixty years.

PM Modi bowed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and sought apology after the 35-foot Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue collapsed amid heavy rain and strong winds on August 26 in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.

Addressing the gathering at Palghar on Friday, PM Modi said, " In 2013 when my party declared me as PM candidate, first thing I did was to visit Raigad Fort. I bowed in reverence before Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj." He said further that for us Shivaji Maharaj is not just king but he is our "aradhya dev" whom we worship and draw inspiration from.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is in Maharashtra today laid foundation stone of the Vadhvan Port project worth around Rs 76,000 crore in Palghar, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). He also laid foundation of 218 fisheries projects of Rs 1,560 crore in Palghar district.

PM Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stone of Rs 76,000 crore Vadhvan Port project in Maharashtra's Palghar district. He also laid foundation of 218 fisheries projects of Rs 1,560 crore in Palghar district.

At Global Fintech Fest 2024 in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave indications on Friday that he intends to remain in power for a long time.

“This is the fifth Global Fintech Fest. I will come here to address the tenth Fintech Fest, too” he said, conveying a strong message on his continuity.

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Prime Minister Modi also said that in the last 10 years, the fintech space has attracted investments of more than USD 31 billion and fintech startups have grown by 500 per cent.

He said it is festive season in India, there is also festivity in the economy and markets, in an apparent reference to the robust GDP growth and capital market scaling new highs.

Modi also informed the gathering that loans worth over Rs 27 lakh crore have been disbursed under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, world's largest microfinance scheme.

"Fintech sector has played important role in making financial services democratic, made access to credit easy, inclusive"

"PM Modi said government is taking all steps at policy level to help fintech sector and also abolished Angel Tax"

"I have certain expectations from regulators, we need to take big steps to stop cyber frauds, increase digital literacy"

" PM Modi says fintech has dented parallel economy, helping bridge the gap between villages and cities"

"I have faith in our fintech ecosystem that it will provide quality life to Indians"

"The best is yet to come," says PM Modi addressing the Global Fintech Fest 2024 in Mumbai.

Talking about the focus areas that fintech regulators must look into, he highlights issues of cyber fraud and the need to increase digital awareness.

To boost the fintech industry, government is doing everything it can at the policy level, PM Modi says at the Global Fintech Fest in BKC, Mumbai.

He also spoke abou the Jan Dhan Yojana as "a powerful medium of women empowerment". "More than 29 crore women bank accounts were opened. We just completed ten years of this scheme," he added.

"I was asked about fintech revolution 10 years ago. They were asking a chaiwala. But in just a decade, India's broadband users have increased from 6 crore to 94 crore. There's hardly anyone over the age of 18 today who doesn't use broadband..." PM Modi said at the fest being held at the Jio Convention Center

PM Modi's address at the Fintech fest was to begin at 11 am. He has just reached the venue at Jio Convention Center in BKC, Mumbai.

Over 20 thought leadership reports and white papers are to be launched at GFF 2024. Later in the day, he is scheduled to lay foundation stone of the Vadhvan Port project worth around Rs 76,000 crore in Palghar, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Ahead of PM Modi's visit to lay the foundation stone for the Palghar port, fishermen in the district have put up black balloons on their boats as mark of protest against the greenfield project.

In April this year, the Bombay High Court had dismissed pleas challenging the permission granted to establish and develop the Vadhvan Port in Dahanu Taluka of Palghar district.

The pleas were filed by NGO Conservation Action Trust, National Fishworkers Forum and others challenging the July 31, 2023 order of DTEPA granting approval for the project.

The court, while rejecting the petitions, noted that DTEPA has considered relevant aspects for granting approvals for the project with a proposed cost of Rs 76,220 crore.

It added that the Authority had also proposed mitigation measures including monitoring committee and grievance redressal committee for stakeholders. Therefore, there was no justifiable ground to interfere with the approval.

The Vadhvan port is expected to be one of the top 10 ports in the world.

As per a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the Vadhvan Port aims to establish a world-class maritime gateway that will boost the country's trade and economic growth by catering to large container vessels, offering deeper drafts, and accommodating ultra-large cargo ships.

PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the project near Dahanu town in Palghar district. It will be one of India's largest deep-water ports and will provide direct connectivity to international shipping routes, reducing transit times and costs, the statement said.

The port is expected to generate significant employment opportunities, stimulate local businesses and contribute to the overall economic development of the region, it said.

The PM is set to lay the foundation stone for the Vadhvan Port in Palghar district which is envisioned to be India’s largest deep-water ports .

Later, he will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 218 fisheries projects worth around Rs 1,560 crore, aimed at bolstering the sector’s infrastructure and productivity across the nation.

PM Modi who is on a one-day visit to the state will address the Global Fintech Fest at 11 am. Over 20 thought leadership reports and white papers are to be launched at GFF 2024 taking place at the Jio Convention Center.

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